Re: Replace engine 5.7marine with automotor 350
A 350 Chevy from a car or truck will bolt in but there are some things you need to consider before doing that. Car and Truck 350's differ in camshaft selection. You definitely want the truck engine because the truck camshaft has a profile that is very close to what the marine 350 would have had. You want to replace the core plugs with brass plugs. You need a marine starter, marine alternator, marine distributor, marine fuel pump and marine carburetor and flame arrester. Why? Because the engine sits low in the boat along with gas fumes. Any spark touches off a deadly explosion. DO NOT USE AUTO PARTS. The water pump needs to be marine specific unless you have a closed cooling system. If the engine is raw water cooled it definitely needs the marine pump. You need a flywheel that the coupler matches with. The fuel pump has a special line routed up to the carb so that if the pump ruptures a diaphram the fuel that would normally leak out would be drawn back to the carb rather than dumped into the bilge. Engines with high performance cams, high compression heads, performance manifolds are not recommended for I/O use because the outdrives can't handle high power and high rpm and the exhaust manifolds are not exactly "header quality". Beside, there is no transmission so the engine needs low end grunt (hence the truck cam) to get on plane.
